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[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

tbh

Hey guys - I've created a single "chat" thread for all the diabetics for any topics of conversation that don't fit in the existing threads.

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Royal Legend

It is a wall, but when you get past it, it becomes easier

I am not on Newcastle at the moment, but as I said if i think i need it to push on with my weight loss, then i will use it because i know it works for me.

I have lost a couple of stone since November, by cutting out rubbish, biscuits, cake and watching what i eat and when in general. for snacks now, i eat oranges and cashews, more green veg with dinner

My motivation is losing weight, just walked 10k this morning, also to reduce NAFLD (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease) when tested in November i was in the danger zone, when i was checked again a couple of weeks ago my scarring was back below the red and this was solely due to losing weight. Consultant said to keep doing what i was doing and come back in a year.

So my goals are simpler now, lose weight, get fitter, get healthier, hopefully one of the additional benefits will be to get my blood readings down.

P.S I was up around 19/20 stone last year, back below 17 at present, want to get around 13 which is normal for my height, not trying to rush it, just to keep doing what i am doing and gradually lose it over the year.

Morby

Just in relation to the Newcastle Diet, I presume this is the 3 VLVD shakes a day diet, similar to th Cambridge diet etc?

Where are you getting this administered?

My friend is a T2 Diabetic and morbidly obese and isn't managing his blood sugar levels at all. Most recent HbA1c was 90.

He hasn't been able to stick to any diets or lose weight. I'm thinking he would need something drastic like this as he's over 60 now and not getting any younger.

Whereabouts would he get this from? His GP? Is it expensive or would a medial card cove any portion of costs? He has the LTI book.

banie01

Morby wrote: »

Just in relation to the Newcastle Diet, I presume this is the 3 VLVD shakes a day diet, similar to th Cambridge diet etc?

Where are you getting this administered?

My friend is a T2 Diabetic and morbidly obese and isn't managing his blood sugar levels at all. Most recent HbA1c was 90.

He hasn't been able to stick to any diets or lose weight. I'm thinking he would need something drastic like this as he's over 60 now and not getting any younger.

Whereabouts would he get this from? His GP? Is it expensive or would a medial card cove any portion of costs? He has the LTI book.

I'm being supported by my GP and Diabetes in undertaking the Newcastle Diet.
Now when I say supported, I mean my GP weighed me and gave me a check up before starting. My Diabetes team are at the end of the phone to discuss BG, insulin and any issues with.
Other than that it's a solo trek.
That said, I'm paying for the MRP shakes out of pocket.

If your friend hasn't been able to stick to diets or an eating plan, this diet isn't the one for him.
It requires a lot of self control and discipline.
Noone can force him to do it, nor enforce him following it.

CramCycle

I've done similar diets, although not as extreme, if you have low will power, my impression is you'll struggle. It is a catch 22 for some obese people is that the obesity itself affects hormone levels which can mean the response to such a shock in the diet is too much to take in regards will power. I am not obese but it took over a week before the addict cravings ceased and for me they come back very quickly if I slip. This said I am from a family of addicts on one side so I maybe more predisposed.

silverharp

sometimes radical can be good and can excite the person. the main problem with the ND is that as its essentially a very low calorie low fat diet its going to drag down the body's basal metabolic rate, in some way then its going to have to be a diet for life with the disadvantage that if your average calorie maintenance might have been x, now your future rate is going to be x -200 calories so it will be easier to put on weight in the future. Another issue is satiety , if I was a betting man I'd bet against any diet where you are constantly hungry.

vargoo

Morby wrote: »

Just in relation to the Newcastle Diet, I presume this is the 3 VLVD shakes a day diet, similar to th Cambridge diet etc?

Where are you getting this administered?

My friend is a T2 Diabetic and morbidly obese and isn't managing his blood sugar levels at all. Most recent HbA1c was 90.

He hasn't been able to stick to any diets or lose weight. I'm thinking he would need something drastic like this as he's over 60 now and not getting any younger.

Whereabouts would he get this from? His GP? Is it expensive or would a medial card cove any portion of costs?

He has the LTI book.

Is he stupid? Ever try the non TLC approach with him? Ever think it's time to stop wasting your time with him?

This is it....

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://services.nhslothian.scot/diabetesservice/PatientsCarers/Documents/SJH%2520NEWCASTLE%2520DIET%2520BOOKLET2012.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjineLD0MPgAhXJUhUIHST2B_8QFjAGegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw00SXRMeeyrXN9CrYXBZKgY

Hell of a lot cheaper than whatever crap he's pumping into his system now.

Some people need to lose a toe/foot before they learn, some still don't.

wakka12

Morby wrote: »

Just in relation to the Newcastle Diet, I presume this is the 3 VLVD shakes a day diet, similar to th Cambridge diet etc?

Where are you getting this administered?

My friend is a T2 Diabetic and morbidly obese and isn't managing his blood sugar levels at all. Most recent HbA1c was 90.

He hasn't been able to stick to any diets or lose weight. I'm thinking he would need something drastic like this as he's over 60 now and not getting any younger.

Whereabouts would he get this from? His GP? Is it expensive or would a medial card cove any portion of costs? He has the LTI book.

Is the fact hes going to die very young not motivational enough? I dont know what could possibly persuade him more.I actually think a more subtle and manageable diet might suit him more as he obviously doesnt care enough about his well being to make even minor changes to his lifestyle. But really theres no magic diet, no amount of silly fad diets or reducing/maxing certain food groups to silly ratios is going to replace what needs to be a balanced unprocessed whole food low GI diet. He just has to want to change to a healthier lifestyle

CramCycle

You have to realise that for some people it is a strong addiction, for many people at that size your bodys immune system is a mess, your hormone production is way off, in many cases certain changes are almost irreversible, so that is why diets that only go on for a few weeks never work because your body has gone so far it can't come back and will slip back eventually.

Also there is the addict side of this. Ever heard of an alcoholic or a heroin addict who doesn't care if there next drink/hit will kill them, it is not much different for some people with weight problems, the cravings can be incredible.

Buford T. Justice XIX

I got a letter in the post this morning from Animas telling me my pump is now out of warranty, instead of next September, and I need to move over to a new maker as as replacement pumps I might require from breakages or anything else will not be supplies by Animas.

So just heading to the busiest time of the year, I'll have to take time off to attend an introduction course and possibly more as there was 2 days of a course when starting with Animas.

'Sake:mad:

banie01

Week 1 of the Newcastle Diet completed yesterday.
My average BG over the week has reduced by @8%.
Currently down from 6.5 to 6.0
My basal Lantus dose has already reduced from 32units to 14units!
That's about a 60% improvement in insulin reliance inside of a week!

I've not weighed myself, as to be quite honest tracking weight loss is not a major part of this for me.
I did weigh myself at the start, and I will at the finish but in the interim my main focus is going to be BG levels and insulin use as a measure of any success.

gerrybbadd

banie01 wrote: »

Week 1 of the Newcastle Diet completed yesterday.
My average BG over the week has reduced by @8%.
Currently down from 6.5 to 6.0
My basal Lantus dose has already reduced from 32units to 14units!
That's about a 60% improvement in insulin reliance inside of a week!

I've not weighed myself, as to be quite honest tracking weight loss is not a major part of this for me.
I did weigh myself at the start, and I will at the finish but in the interim my main focus is going to be BG levels and insulin use as a measure of any success.

Well done! I'm excited to see how this goes for you. Have you had any hypos?

My wife has me on a diet with her now at the minute, i've had a lot of hypos on it. However, i'm finding i'm losing a lot of weight. There are days I don't need novorapid - at all! And my tresiba has reduced from 64 units to 56.

Started out weighing in at 13 stone 7 pounds. I'm 12 stone 10 pounds as of this morning.

banie01

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Well done! I'm excited to see how this goes for you. Have you had any hypos?

My wife has me on a diet with her now at the minute, i've had a lot of hypos on it. However, i'm finding i'm losing a lot of weight. There are days I don't need novorapid - at all! And my tresiba has reduced from 64 units to 56.

Started out weighing in at 13 stone 7 pounds. I'm 12 stone 10 pounds as of this morning.

Well done on your own inprovements to date!
That's a big difference!

No hypos and lowest read to date is 4.2.
I'm fairly hypo aware too so hopefully if I have had any I'd have realized.

I started out at 110kg, but I have the added benefit of being 6'5"

and still carrying a fair deal of muscle albeit with an incipient paunch and middle aged spread.

I'll keep the thread updated on a weekly basis with some BG screenshot averages and any other related things.

banie01

2 weeks in to the Newcastle Diet and I'm still persevering.

Today is my 1st day in 3 years without a basal insulin dose!
Over the course of 2 weeks my basal has reduced from a steady 32 units of Lantus, to yesterday's being none!

At my peak my basal was 60units and I'd always worked hard to keep it low as the side effects of too much insulin with weight gain and so on aren't great for any co-morbidity.

I weighed myself this morning too so as I can share an indication of how that's going.

I'm down @5kg since starting so @4%, but weight isn't a factor for me in this.
My aim is to reduce my insulin dependence and improve my overall insulin response and health and to date, I'm very surprised and bloody delighted too!

CramCycle

That is epic, well done.

Royal Legend

Brilliant, keep it going and keep posting

silverharp

so much for the old supposed mantra that diabetes is a progressive disease

wakka12

Well, for a lot of people it is, but mainly because they just keep getting fatter and lazier as they age

banie01

Thanks for the encouragement folks.

The latest models/theories of Diabetes diagnosis and treatment are to my mind pointing more and more towards a spectrum of diabetes with particular regard to Type 2 and Insulin resistance.

In my own case, I was diagnosed as T2 at 26 while very fit and active. Was dignosed by fluke really.
Treated as such for 10yrs before a change of Endo led to a discussion of LADA and a type 1.5 diagnosis and the start of a basal insulin dose for the last 3 years.

It is a combination of impending middle age, reliance on more and more insulin for maintenance of control rather than improving it that have led me to wanting to actually drive a change.

The onset of early diabetes complications in particular retinopathy all led to me deciding that rather than just carry on with the status quo, that I'd give the NC diet a try.

It's still early days and I have @ 6weeks to go before I'm done but I'm very pleased with the progress to date.

Today was my 2nd day with no basal insulin.
Prior to starting this diet my usual regime would be 32units Lantus at night and a morning BG of @7.5.

This morning, with no Basal my morning BG was 5.8!

There is definitely some potential improvement to be gained and hopefully maintained.

banie01

Week 3 of the Newcastle Diet finished

My morning BG has increased slightly since coming off insulin but it is still well below my usual trigger to raise the basal.

My usual protocol for changing my Basal is if my morning BG is above 7, I increase my Basal and if its below 6.5 I decrease it.
I have had one morning since stopping my Basal(after tapering it over the previous 2 weeks) where my BG was 7.2, but I did not add back in a Basal dose in the hope it was a one off which it appears to be.

So on the screenshot below, my Week 3 average BG has increased slightly but to my mind this is more than offset by the elimination of my insulin need so far.
On the weight front, I have dropped a total of 7kgs to date. A loss of @6%; overall to date.
The cravings have for the most part passed and apart from a slip last week where I inhaled a sandwich (That seriously threw out my BG too) I've been coping quite well.

gerrybbadd

Banie - fantastic, thanks for keeping us updated. I'd say you're getting some real good feelings when you see those "100% in range" readings!

banie01

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Banie - fantastic, thanks for keeping us updated. I'd say you're getting some real good feelings when you see those "100% in range" readings!

TBH, my control is usually fairly tight and my avg HbA1c over the last 3yrs has been in the 6 to 6.5 range.
That said however, my control was becoming more and more reliant on basal Insulin.
Having the same control with no basal dose really is a huge motivating factor for me at the moment

goat2

any one have a bleed to back of eye, what is the usual procedure, and is it reversible,
I have a family member with diabetes, and careless with what they eat,
Can not keep away from the sugary snacks

banie01

goat2 wrote: »

any one have a bleed to back of eye, what is the usual procedure, and is it reversible,
I have a family member with diabetes, and careless with what they eat,
Can not keep away from the sugary snacks

Are they under an Opthalmologist team or Diabetes team?
How was the bleed diagnosed?
Early treatment can prevent further damage and others on here are more experienced with the options.
Important thing is however that treatment needs to be early.

banie01

Posting an update from the end of Week 4 of my attempt at the Newcastle diet.

I'm now insulin free since the 25th of Feb.
My morning BG levels have crept back up again from a range of 4.9-6.5 whilst I was in the 1st 2 weeks of the diet and still taking Insulin(although on a reducing dose)
To my current range of 5.8-7.2 over the days since the 25th Feb.

The difference in range is not a particular worry at the moment, as it is actually analogous to my usual morning BG range prior to my beginning the diet.
So as it stands, 4 weeks in I am at a stage where with zero Insulin I am maintaining similar BG levels to my Insulin use from before attempting the diet.

I'm currently testing @3-4 times daily to keep a good eye on post prandial levels aswell.
Ideally I'd love to be able to share some CGM readings from pre -during and -post this diet but alas I'm not using a libre or anything similar.

I've contacted my Diabetes team and I'm swinging in to see the nurse next week to go over my numbers and get an up to date HbA1C so hopefully that will help tell a fuller story.

So long story short...
4 weeks or Halfway in, I'm very happy with the progress to date(the weight loss in particular has been a happy bonus!).
Will update again next week but if anyone has any questions feel free to ask either on thread or via PM if you'd prefer.

Hope this attempt at a diary is of some use to anyone considering giving the Newcastle diet a try.

Donutz

Hello everybody.

I've been recently been diagnosed with type 1 and have been put on insulin. A friend of mine told me about glucojuice for treating hypos. Does anybody know if I can get glucojuice with my LTI book or will I have to pay for it myself?

CramCycle

Donutz wrote: »

Hello everybody.

I've been recently been diagnosed with type 1 and have been put on insulin. A friend of mine told me about glucojuice for treating hypos. Does anybody know if I can get glucojuice with my LTI book or will I have to pay for it myself?

Pay yourself AFAIK but you can claim it back as a tax deductible. Any food that is specifically for your Diabetes can be claimed back.

Donutz

CramCycle wrote:

Pay yourself AFAIK but you can claim it back as a tax deductible. Any food that is specifically for your Diabetes can be claimed back.

Good to know. Thanks for the reply.

Eircom_Sucks

Diagnosed with type 2 this afternoon

Fook my life

38 male , crappy diet , needs to change

banie01

Eircom_Sucks wrote: »

Diagnosed with type 2 this afternoon

Fook my life

38 male , crappy diet , needs to change

I know its not the diagnosis anyone wants to hear

But!
Look on the bright side, plenty that can be down to arrest and even reverse T2 if its caught early.

Meds are improving all the time and make a huge difference to quality of life too.

That said, it does suck balls and its okay to wallow a bit.

Feel better soon!

Eircom_Sucks

banie01 wrote: »

I know its not the diagnosis anyone wants to hear
But!
Look on the bright side, plenty that can be down to arrest and even reverse T2 if its caught early.

Meds are improving all the time and make a huge difference to quality of life too.

That said, it does suck balls and its okay to wallow a bit.

Feel better soon!

Need to lose weight and try find low sugar foods